"The next match seems to be your Xingluo Royal Academy against Dou Ling Advanced Soul Master Academy, right?"
"Your Highness, what about you?"
Ye Fan asked Xu Jiujiu in return.
Xu Jiujiu immediately replied with complete confidence, "Of course your big sister is betting on her team to win!"
"I meant you."
Xu Jiujiu questioned Ye Fan back.
A teasing smile curled at Ye Fan's lips as he drew out his words. "Of course~ I~ am~"
"Betting on Dou Ling Advanced Soul Master Academy~"
Before Ye Fan could finish, Xu Jiujiu's delicate hand had already reached his ear.
Ye Fan immediately begged for mercy. "I wasn't done speaking."
"Their opponent, Xingluo Royal Academy, will win!"
"Tch!"
Xu Jiujiu clicked her tongue before finally calming down.
Afterward, under Xu Jiujiu's pressure, Ye Fan went to the betting counter and tearfully placed a bet of twenty million Gold Soul Coins on Xingluo Royal Academy's victory.
"That's more like it! I'll let you off this time."
"Don't worry. When your match comes around, your big sister will place a heavy bet on you too."
With that, Xu Jiujiu bared her teeth in a grin and left the competition grounds with the Nebula Douluo, returning to the imperial palace.
Ye Fan and the others returned to the hotel.
The following day, in the Continental Soul Master Tournament, Xingluo Royal Soul Master Academy faced Dou Ling Advanced Soul Master Academy.
There was no real surprise in the match. Once Xu Jiujiu unleashed her Star Crown Martial Soul, the other side had no way to break it and could only concede.
Just like that, Ye Fan gained eight million Gold Soul Coins for nothing.
The day after that, the tournament reached the match between Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy and Extreme Blade Academy.
Ye Fan and the others were naturally extremely confident in their own academy and all placed heavy bets on their team.
Xu Jiujiu likewise did not let this opportunity pass her by.
The result matched everyone's expectations. Ye Fan still did not make a move.
Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy won decisively.
Xu Jiujiu, Ye Fan, and the others looked at the pitiful 1-to-1.1 odds and felt like crying without tears.
The next day, the four semifinalists of the Continental Soul Master Tournament emerged.
Shrek Academy, Xingluo Royal Soul Master Academy, and Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy all advanced.
Next came the thrilling semifinal matches.
In the first match, Xingluo Royal Soul Master Academy faced Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy.
This time, Ye Fan's group and Xu Jiujiu's group once again gathered at the betting counter.
Neither side spared the other more than a glance.
Ye Fan said to the betting counter attendant, "Thirty million Gold Soul Coins on Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy."
Xiao Hongchen, Meng Hongchen, and the others followed closely behind. "Thirty million Gold Soul Coins on Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy."
Ma Rulong, Lin Xi, and the others refused to lag behind. "Five million Gold Soul Coins on Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy."
As for Xu Jiujiu's side, she was not the least bit outdone as she said to the attendant, "Eighty million Gold Soul Coins on Xingluo Royal Soul Master Academy."
The team members behind her immediately followed with their own bets. "Five million Gold Soul Coins."
"Six million Gold Soul Coins!"
Overall, the two sides' wagers were evenly matched.
The match odds once again reached the awkward ratio of 1 to 1.45.
"Ye Fan, we'll meet on the battlefield!"
After placing her bet, Xu Jiujiu left with her teammates without even giving Ye Fan a chance to speak.
At Ye Fan's side, Meng Hongchen fixed Xu Jiujiu with a deadly stare, snorting coldly. "What are you acting so smug for? Once we're on the field, I'll beat you so hard you won't know which way is north."
Meng Hongchen's voice was not loud, but everyone present was a soul master and heard her clearly. Even Xu Jiujiu, who had already taken a step away, turned back to look at Meng Hongchen for a long moment. Their gazes collided, instantly sparking fierce flames.
The meaning was as if they were saying: See you on the battlefield.
On the competition field, Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy still sent out Ye Fan, Xiao Hongchen, Meng Hongchen, Ma Rulong, Lin Xi, Mijia, and Chen Fei. Poor Xiao Xiafeng had not received another chance to compete since being made a substitute.
On Xingluo Royal Soul Master Academy's side, the competitors were Captain Xu Jiujiu, Vice Captain Huang Heyun, Dugu Shangshan, Yi Chen, Wang Shiying, Chen Xiaojie, and Sheng Yi.
All of them were five-ring Soul Kings. Setting aside the exceptional Ma Rulong, the two sides could be considered evenly matched in strength.
But no one could forget the power of Xu Jiujiu's martial soul.
Therefore, no one knew who would win this battle.
Thus, the many gamblers were purely betting according to faith.
This resulted in extremely close odds for the match.
Yet Ye Fan, one of those involved, was incomparably confident. "Certain victory!"
Following the referee's command, both sides took up their predetermined formations and released their martial souls.
The first team battle began.
Ye Fan's side used a 2-4-1 formation.
Lin Xi and Ma Rulong took the lead, Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen stood in the second row, while Ye Fan remained at the rear to stabilize the formation.
Xu Jiujiu's side used a similar 3-3-1 formation.
Huang Heyun, Sheng Yi, and Dugu Shangshan formed the first row.
Yi Chen, Wang Shiying, and Chen Xiaojie followed close behind.
Xu Jiujiu stood in the third row, stabilizing the formation.
Neither side exchanged any nonsense. They immediately went all out from the start.
Ma Rulong faced Huang Heyun, while Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen went up against Yi Chen and Wang Shiying.
Everyone else found their own opponents.
The field was filled with clashes between soul cannons and soul skills.
Ye Fan and Xu Jiujiu had yet to make a move.
Because they both knew that the two of them were the key to this match.
Thus, both calmly watched the two teams' members battle.
Even when Ma Rulong erupted with fluctuations at the level of a Soul Douluo, Xu Jiujiu did not intervene.
However, the Wind-Fire Martial Soul Fusion Skill unleashed by Yi Chen and Wang Shiying took Ye Fan by surprise.
Just as Xu Jiujiu was secretly feeling pleased with herself, she said, "Ye Fan, let's see how long you can keep refusing to act."
"Just watch. Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen are about to lose."
At that moment, Meng Hongchen caught sight of Xu Jiujiu's smug smile from the corner of her eye, and her face immediately turned cold. She said to Xiao Hongchen beside her, "Brother, what are we waiting for?"
"Martial Soul Fusion Skill—Red Dust's Devotion!"
Xiao Hongchen hesitated at her words, because that was the gift he had prepared for Shrek Academy.
He had not expected to be forced into using it by his opponents already.
But the enemy Martial Soul Fusion Skill was charging toward the two of them.
He had no backup plan either, so he could only grit his teeth, follow Meng Hongchen's lead, and shout, "Sister, Martial Soul Fusion Skill—Red Dust's Devotion!"
Everyone saw the gold and crimson Twin Toad Martial Souls behind Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen intertwine, merging to create a gigantic gold-and-crimson three-legged Ice Gold Toad.
It forcibly blocked the enemy's wind-fire fusion skill.
The collision of the two overwhelmingly powerful Martial Soul Fusion Skills immediately triggered a violent explosion.
Seeing that things had gone wrong, the referee at the edge of the field immediately entered the arena and separated the battlefield.
He protected the safety of the other contestants.
All the shockwaves from the explosion fell upon that Titled Douluo referee.
Even a Titled Douluo as powerful as him could not stop coughing up blood.
This showed that the power of both sides' Martial Soul Fusion Skills had already reached the Titled Douluo level.
It left that Titled Douluo referee utterly depressed.
But the match had to continue.
He forced himself to endure and signaled for the staff to carry away Xiao Hongchen, Meng Hongchen, Yi Chen, and Wang Shiying, all of whom could no longer fight.
Once the field was restored, the match continued.
On the field, Xu Jiujiu watched the departing figures of Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen with a solemn expression.
Especially at the very end, she clearly saw Meng Hongchen provoking her with a glance.
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